Circular knitting machine



Aug. 4, 1931. 1'. H. JONES MRCUL AR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 17. 1929 2 Sheets-Shqet 1 1 5 5 w a a l o Aug 4', 1931. 'r. H. JONES 1,817,566

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 P L I Patented Aug. 4, 1931 p r i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS HENRY JONES, F WOOD'IHOEPE, ENGLAND CIRCIULJLR KNITTING MACHINE Application filed June 1 7, 1929, Serial No 371,562, and in Great Britain July 21, 1928.

This invention comprises improvements in having two needle carrying members, hereor relating to circular knittingmachines and inafter called dial and cylinder, concentric in the production of fabric thereon and has With each other, cams being associated with for its object to provide means by which a said carriers for coacting with the needles to tubular fabric having the characteristics of draw and form loops of thread supplied from a shogged or racked fabric can be produced one or more suitable yarn feeds, the loops by a small number of threads relatively to being drawn in opposite directions to prothe number of needles or number of stitches duce a ribbed fabric. in a course, even for example, by a. single In the production of ordinary ribbed knit- 10 thread. ted fabric it is well known that the dial and According to the present invention a circylinder contain an'equal number of needles, cular knitting machine is provided embodythe needles ofone member being adapted to ing a plurality of sets or rows of needles, project between the needles of the other memstitch-forming cams associated with said ber and the two members being rotated at an needles, means for feeding yarn to said neeequal speed in the same direction. In this dles, means for effecting relative motion beway fabric is made wherein theneedle wales tween the needles and the stitch cams, means produced by one set of needles are parallel whereby certain of the needles operate to with those produced by the other set. draw loops in one direction and others of By providing an equal number of needles c 20 said needles operate to draw loops in an opin both carriers, it is of course essential that posite direction, the number of needles in the carriers be rotated at equal speeds or that one set being different from that in another the relative positions of the two sets of neeset, and means for varying the disposition dles are never varied, as should such carriers of one set relatively to another during opbe revolved at different speeds the needles 25 eration. will bemoved into unsuitable relationship Another feature consists in provlding a for mutual action and will foul each other. circular knitting machine embodylng con- However, if the number of needles in the centric needle carriers, associated cams and one carrier be one in excess of the needles arn feeding means, means whereby certain in the other carrier, and the needles in the 30 of the needles operate to draw loops in an optwo carriers are so positioned that one neeposite direction to the remaining needles, dle in each carrier occupies the'same radial said carriers containing a dissimilar number position, the needles on either side of this of needles and means for rotating said carpoint of coincidence will occupy positions of riers progressively relatively to each other. cumulative divergence until at a diametrical- A further feature resides in amachine hav- 1y opposite position to the said point of coing one or more of the above-named features incidence a needle of the dial will occupy a and characterized in that at each revolution radial position exactly midway between two of the machine there is always a predeterneedles of the cylinder and be in the best mined number of definite positions or nodes position for operation by the cams to form to at which a needle or needles in each carrier mutually meshing loops.

are suitably disposed relatively toeach other If now the carrier containing the larger for cam operation, yarn feed and mutually number of needles be revolved at a suitably meshed stitch formation. reduced speed relatively to the speed of ro- Yet another feature resides in providing tation of the carriercontaining thesmaller intermediate of the positions or nodes at' number of needles, there will always be at 5 which mutually meshed stitches are formed agiven position a point of coincidence becams coacting with needles of only one of the tween a needle of eachset and consequently needle carriers. there will always be a point at which a needle In one method of carryin out this invenof one set is located midwa between the two tion a circular knitting macnine'is employed needles of the other sentiat "is to say in a I} a; two points or nodes "at take place, while'if the A position for cam operation, yarn feed and mutual stitch formation. In other words, the relative positions of any pair of needles consisting of one needle of each carrier will always he the same at a fixed point at any given time, successive needles gradually assuming the position of "such pair as they approach the said fixed point and gradually diverging as they recede from the fixed point.

For example, it may be assumed that the cylinder contains fifty needles and the dial fifty-one, in which case the cylinder would be revolved fifty-one times while the dial revolved fifty times.

By doubling the number of needles con- 'tain'ed in'each carrieigthatisto say, byprovid'ing'two moreneedles in the onecarrier than in'the' other, it willbe appreciated-that there will be two points'of'eoincidenee and which -'l nitting can umberof needles'in each carrier is quadrupled there 'wi'll'be four points or nodes, and it is to be understood that atcacl1=ofthe"knittingpoints or nodes a'yarn feeder andneedle operating cams must be provided unless 'it is'desired to rack or "shog more than one needle space.

displacement of "the carriers as above de- -"the one setof needle wales will be continuously shogged or advanced laterally in one direction relatively to the needle wales fcrmedby th'csuccessivestitches orloops' of each needle the otherset, while additionally Wale"appertaining to the one set of needles extend in" the form' of ated together for producin willme'sh with stitches appertaining to suecessive needle wales formed by the'other set of needles. For example, a fabric maybe produced wherein the needle wales of one set are vertical while those of the otherset 'aspiral having a pitch of one stitch advance per course, the spiral wales thus being disposed pra'ctical'ly' at right angl'es to-the vertical wales.

The needles ofboth sets can only be operg mutuallymesh- 'ing stitches at the aforesaid knitting points or n'odesfbut it is to beun'de'rstood that the needles of either set may be operatedin dependently of those of the other set at-any point so as to ,produceone' or more courses of plain knitting on "the one face of the fabric.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this invention, reference will now. bemade to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fl'gure 1 is a verticalsection of a circular knittingmachine in accordance Withthis invention for producing shogged rib fabric taken on the line IIII of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan View of a modified construction of machine.

Figure 4 is a Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the'cam box 8 is rotated relatively to the cylinder 1 from the main drive 2 through the intermediary of bevel 4- and gear 5, the dial'cam plate 6 being conneetedto rotate in unison With the cam box 3 through the intermediary of upstanding posts 7 and links 8. The dial needle carrier 9 is retained stationary while the cylin- "der l'is rotated very' slowly'relative'ly to said dial so as to produce tl'16I1GCO'SS&1y'Sl10ggCl effect in the fabric. This comparatively slow rotation of the cylinder may be effected from th'e rotating cam'box 3 through th'e intermediary of a gear 10 on said box nieshing with a bevel 11 rotating oirafixedaxishaving rotating in unison therewith a- Worm 1 2 engaging a wormwheel "1 3 rotating' on' a fixed vertical axis, a small gear 14 rotating in 'unisonwith'the worm wheel 13 coa'c'ting with peripheral teeth on a'flange 15=of the cylinder 1.

in "the arrangement illustrated =eight "thread feeds '16 are provided 'equi 'distant' a round the' machine, therefore asth'e cylinder l-is rotated slowly'relatively to-the fi'xe'ddial 9, said dial contains eight more needles'than the cylinder.

Several methods of producing' fabric; on

sho ggedfrib machine as previously described ma'y be employed. For example a thread -'m'aybe' fed to both sets ofneedles la and 9a simultaneously when'ina protruded position projecting between each other which is -the normal manner of producing-ribbed fabric. In Figures 3 and la rib*knitting'machine is illustrated Y having two threa' d feeds 16 at diametrically opposite positions,'the cylinder cambox 17 is stationary, -'asalsois the "cam 18 which operates up'on'thedial needles 19. The drive is transmitted'fronrthe main shaft 2 through intermes'hing bev'els 20, 21, tothe needle eylinderl, and from said cylinder drive is transmitted to a rotarydial needle sley 22,-the rotationof the'ne'edle' dial '23 being in this arrangement e'fi e'cte'd through the needles 19 themse yes which depend from the sley 22 into 'the tricked dial 23. The drive from the cylinder gl to'the rotating sley22 and theneeto the "dial'23 "is such as-to-c a-use said cylinder and dial to rotate at relatively different speeds, and 'this transmission of drive may be effected-as illustrated from a circumferential gear'Ql on the cylinder to a gea'r25 on tli'elo'wer end of a vertica'l spindle 26 rotatingona s'tatioi'ia'ry axis,a gear '2'?- at the upper end of such spindle meshing with a As W111 be evident to those*skilled inthe vertical section IV-IV of ice , tive relative motion between art, the means for and method of rotating one needle carrier relatively to another may be varied in many ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

A fabric produced upon a machine such as herein described and claimed is illustrated, described and claimed in my application filed concurrently herewith, and bearing Ser. No. 371,560.

I claim 1. A circular knitting machine comprising a plurality of sets of needles, stitch-forming cams associated with said needles, means for feeding yarn to said needles, means for efiecthe needles and the stitch cams, means whereby certain of the needles operate to draw loops in one direction and others of said needles operate to draw loops in an opposite direction, the number of needles in one set being di'lferent from that in another set, and means for progressively varying the disposition'of one set rela tively to another during operation.

2. A circular knitting machine embodying concentric needle carriers, associated stitch forming cams, yarn feeding means, means for effecting relative movement between the needles and stitch cams, means whereby certain of the needles operate to draw loops in an opposite direction to the remaining needles, the needle cariiers containing a dissimilar number of needles and means for producing progressive relative rotation between the said carriers.

3. A circular knitting machine comprising aplurality of sets of needles, stitch-forming cams associated with said needles, means for feeding yarn to said needles, means for effecting relative motion between the needles and the stitch cams, means whereby certain of the needles operate to draw loops in one direction and others of said needles operate to draw loops in an opposite direction, the number of needles in one set being different from that in another set, means for progressively varying the disposition of the needles of one set relatively to those of another and said means operating so that at each revolution of the machine there is always a predetermined number of definite positions or nodes at which a needle or needles in each carrier are suitably disposed relatively to each other for cam operation, yarn feed and mutually meshed stitch formation.

4. A circular knitting machine embodying concentric needle carriers, stitch cams, yarn feeding means, means whereby needles of one carrier draw loops in an opposite direction to needles of another carrier, the number of needles in one carrier being different from that in another carrier, means for effecting progressive relative rotation between the carriers containing a dissimilar number of needles, means whereby at each revolution of the machine a predetermined number of positions occur at which mutually meshed stitches can be formed on needles of the relatively movable carriers, cam means functioning to operate upon the needles of only one carrier and said cam means operating intermediate of the positions at which mutually meshed stitches are formed.

5. A circular knitting a cylinder, needles operable therein, cam means coacting with said cylinder needles, a dial concentric with and interiorly of said needle cylinder, needles operable in said dial, cam means associated with and operating upon the dial needles, the number of needles in the cylinder being diiferent from that in the dial, means for feeding yarn to the needles, and means whereby progressive relative rotation is effected between the cylinder and dial so as to vary continuously the disposition of one set of needles relatively to the other.

6. In a circular knitting machine, concentricneedle carriers, stitch forming cams associated with each carrier, yarn feeding means, needles of one carrier operating to draw loops in an opposite direction, to needles of another carrier, the number of needles in one carrier being different from that in another carrier and means for imparting progressive relative movement to the said carriers whereby the said needle carriers, needle cams and yarn feeding means are all traversed at suitable relative, but different, speeds.

7 In a circular knitting machine, two concentric needle carriers, the needles in one carrier operating to draw loops in an opposite direction to the needles in the other carrier, knitting cams associated with each carrier, means whereby yarn from each of a plurality of feeders is fed to and knitted on alternate needles in each carrier, one of said carriers containing a greater number of needles than the other carrier, and means whereby relative progressive motion is imparted to one of the two needle carriers relative to the other.

THOMAS HENRY JONES.

machine embodying 

